Automatically illuminated pressing machine



Feb. 16, 1932. FQRSE 1,845,141

.AUTOMATICALLY ILLUMINATED PRESSING MACHINE Filed April 19, 1950ATTORNEY- Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES HARRY DIFOBSE, OFANDERSON, INDIANA AUTOMATICALLY ILLUMINATED PRESSING MACHINE Applicationfiled April 19, 1930. Serial No. 445,557.

This invention relates to automatic illumination system forming anintegral part of a commercially acceptable garment pressing machine.

The chief object of the invention is to equip a so-called garmentpressing machine with a source of illumination and have the samearranged so that it will direct the light rays onto the garment when thepressing element is elevated so that the operator can clearly see thegarment and the condition thereof and which illumination is furtherarranged to be discontinued at such time as the pressing ele ment is inthe pressing position and which system of illumination is furtherarranged so that the illumination may be entirely disconnected from thesource ofenergy when desired.

This invention is a continuation in part of the co-pending applicationSerial No. 318,774 filed Nov. 12, 1928, entitled Pressing machine.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

Fig. 1 is a side elevatlonal view of a gar: ment press provided with aplurality of sources of illumination arranged to illuminate a garmentwhile on the press. Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of connectlons.

30 In the drawings indicates the frame of a garment press, 11 thesupporting table, 12

the buck and 13 the headsupported as at 14 by the pivotally mounted arms15 terminating in a handle portion 16 and pivotally sup-' 85 ported asat 17 upon the u wardly extending bracket members or uprig ts 18.

The arms 15 and the uprights18 each suport one element of a switchconstruction. erein one element is indicated by the numeral 19 and theother and movable element is indicated by the numeral 20, said elementsbeing so arranged that when the presser element or head is elevated thearm 20 will be' tilted into full line position from the dotted lineposition and close an electrical circuit. In Fig. 2 the handle of theswitch is indicated by the numeral 20 and the switch is normallyconstrained toward open position and is so moved to closed positionwhich corresponds to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 byengagement with the abutment 19 positioned ad acent thereto.

In the preferred form of the invention the source of illumination ispreferably supported by the tiltable presser element and it may besupported by either the head supporting arms 15 or the head 13 and thelight may be positioned forwardly of the head and direct ed rearwardlyor rearwardly of the head and directed forwardly. 21 indicates thereflector associated with a light source 22 which "is controlled by aswitch 23, the li ht source or bulb 22 not being shown in Fig. 1 butbeing shown in Fig. 2. The aforesaid is supported b bracket arms 24 onthe forward s1de of t e head and directs the light rays rearwardly.

A similar illumination structure indicated by the numeral 25 andincludes the light source 26 controlled by switch 27 and supported bybracket arms 28 connected by the forward portions of the lever arms 15.In both of the foregoin instances the reflectors 21 or 25, or bot arearranged to direct light rays rearwardly into the space between the buckand head and to illuminate the surface of the buck for armentillumination while the latter is t ereon and the head is elevated.

If desired, another reflector 29, associated with a li ht source 30controlled by a switch 31, may similarly supported on the head by thebracket arms 32 and arranged to direct the light rays forwardly and ontothe buck and the garment supported thereby. A similar reflector'33associated with a light source 34 controlled by switch 35, is similarlyositioned but in this instance is so ported y the bracket arms 36carried by the arms 15. In both instances the reflectors 29 and 33 arearranged to direct the light rays forwardly and to illuminate thesurface of the buck or the garment thereon when the head is elevated.

If it is not desired to have the movable ele- 5 ment support the lightsource,the light source V may be supported in fixed relation but ar-,ranged, nevert eless, to illuminate the surface of the buck when thehead or presser element is elevated therefrom. In this form of theinvention the reflector 37 is associated with a light source 38controlled by a switch 39 and said light source is supported by bracketarms 40 carried by the uprights 18.

Since it is desirable not to employ illumination during the intervalwhile the head is pressing on the buck, for illumination is not requiredat that time, the switch 19 and 20 is arranged so that the circuit toall or any ofthe lamps 22, 26, 30, 34 and/or 38, is closed only when thehead is elevated. If any one or all of the lights are not to beilluminated, the latter condition being at the time when the press isnot in operation, each of the individual switches 23, 27, 31, 35 and 39,may be opened and these switches are preferably associated with thelight bulb socket.in association with the respective re flectors. Ifdesired, a common master control switch may be employed whichsimultaneously open the circuit to all of the lamps and is independentof the lever arm movement.

The reason for illustrating a plurality of light sources is that forcertain work it is imperative that no shadows fall upon the garment andwhile in ordinary operation but a single light source would be required,that is, for operating upon dark suits and the like; for operating uponlighter suits, a plurality of light sources may be required to beenergized in order to provide suflicient illumination thereon. Likewiseif light, frail garments, particularly womens dresses and the like, areto be cleaned and pressed on the garment press, it is essential thatsufficient illumination be directed on to the garment and without anyshadow effect, and for this purpose substantially all of the varioussources of illumination illustrated may be required. 1

The invention claimed is:

1. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a relatively movable pressing element a source ofillumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lower pressingelement, and means automatically operable in the relative movement oftht? two presser elements for automatically energizing the source ofillumination when the pressing elements are separated.

2. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element a relatively movable pressing element, a plurality ofsources of illumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lowerpressing element, and means automatically operable in the relativemovement of the two presser elements for automatically energizing thesources of illumination when the pressing elements are separated.

3. The combination with a pressing machine including the usual lowerpresser block, upon which a garment, to be pressed is laid,

and the usual upper presser block, of an electrical source ofillumination movable with the upper block and positioned to direct itsrays onto the surface of the lower presser block.

4. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a relatively movable pressing element, a source ofillumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lower pressingelement, and means automatically operable in the relative movement ofthe two presser elements for automatically energizing the source ofillumination when the pressing elements are separated, said source ofillumination being stationarily supported and arranged to illuminate therelatively stationary pressing element when the movable pressing elementis removed from pressing position.

5. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a relatively movable pressing element, a source ofillumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lower pressingelement, and means automatically operable in the relative movement ofthe two presser elements for automatically energizing the source ofillumination when the pressing elements are separated, said source ofillumination being positioned rearwardly of the two ressing elements andarranged to direct t e rays forwardly and downwardly onto the relativelystationary presser element.

6. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a

relatively movable pressing element, a source of illumination arrangedto illuminate the surface of the lower pressing element, and meansautomatically operable in the relative movement of the two presserelements for automatically energizing the source of illumination whenthe pressmg elements are separated, said source of illumination beingpositioned rearwardly of the two pressing elements and arranged todirect the rays forwardly and downwardly onto the relatively stationarypresser element, said source of illumination being supported by andmovable with the movable presser element.

7. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a relatively movable pressing element, a source ofillumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lower pressingelement; and,

means automatically operable in the relative movement of the two presserelements for automatically energizing the source of illumination whenthe pressing elements are separated, said source of illumination beingpositioned forwardly of the two pressing elements and arranged to directthe rays rearwardly and downwardly onto the relatively stationarypresser element. l

8. In a' garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a

relatively movable pressing element, a source of illumination arrangedto illuminate the surface of the lower pressing element, and meansautomatically operable in the relative movement of the two presserelements for automatically energizing the source of illumination whenthe pressing elements are separated, said source of illumination beingpositioned forwardly of the two pressing elements and arranged to directthe rays rearwardly and downwardly onto the relatively stationarypresser element, and said source of illumination being supported by andmovable with the movable presser element.

9. In a garment press the combination of a relatively stationarypressing element, a

relatively movable pressing element, a plurality of sources ofillumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lower pressingelement, and means automatically operable in the relative movement ofthe two presser elements for automatically energizing the sources ofillumination when the pressing elements are separated, one of saidsources of illumination being positioned forwardly sources ofillumination, w en the pressing elements are separated, one of saidsources of illumination being positioned'forwardly of the movablepresser element and another being positioned rearwardly thereof with thelight ra s oppositely directed and toward each other or illuminating therelatively stationary presser element, said forwardly and rearwardlydirecting sources of illumination being supported by the movable presserelement support.

11. In a garment press the combination of a relativelystationary'pressing element, a relatively movable pressing element, a plurality ofsources of illumination arranged to illuminate the surface of the lowerpressing element, and means automatically operable in the relativemovement ofthe two presser elements for automatically energizing thesources'of illumination when the pressing elements are separated, one ofsaid sources of illumination being positioned forwardly of the movablepresserlelement and another being positioned rearwardly thereof with thelight rays oppositely directed and toward each other for illuminatingthe relatively stationary presser element, said-oppositely directedsources of illumination being carried by the movable presser element andmovable by and with the same. 7

12. The combination with a pressing machine including the usual lowerpresser block, upon which a garment, to be pressed, is laid, and theusual upper presser block, of an electrical source of illuminationmovable with the upper block and positioned to direct its rays onto thesurface of the lower presser block when the upper block is elevated, andmeans, actuated upon movement of the upper presser block to pressingposition to open a normally closed circuit to the source ofillumination.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

' HARRY D. FORSE.

